Adventures in Matrimony
by Nonnie
Summary: Sam and Donna's wedding goes off without a hitch – yeah right, come on, how much fun would THAT be? Please R&R - your comments mean so much to me!
1. Druken Disorder

Disclaimer – I do not own these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. I do own Emma Lyman and any other characters I invent, but please feel free to borrow them. Just let me know what you're doing with them!  
  
Rating – PG-13  
  
Spoilers – this is a sequel to That Which Time Cannot Erase  
  
Pairings – Sam/Donna, Josh/Ellie  
  
Summary – Sam and Donna's wedding goes off without a hitch – yeah right, come on, how much fun would THAT be????

* * *

Josh Lyman leaned against the table in the downtown bar were Sam's bachelor party was being held, steadying himself with his hands as he began to speak with a slightly drunken slur.  
  
"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears," he said jokingly, raising his beer stein to the assembled group of men. "We come here to bury Sam Seaborn, not to praise him."  
  
"Hear, Hear!" Larry and Ed said in unison. Sam pointed his finger at them and raised an eyebrow in warning.  
  
"The evil that men do lives after them, thanks to the White House Press Corps," Josh continued, pointing his mug at Danny Concannon, who laughed heartily, "and the good is often interred with their bones. But we don't want that to be with Sam here, which is why we have gathered here tonight to celebrate this man."  
  
He slapped his hand down on Sam's shoulder. "The noble Donna hath already told us, time and time and..." he sighed, "time again, that Sam is a good lover. And since it is so, although I don't know this personally, we can say it is a grievous fault. And unfortunately, Sam hath answered the charge.  
  
"Here, under leave of Donna and the rest of the women, come I to speak at Sam's bachelor party." Josh pressed his hand over his heart and looked down at Sam. "He is my friend, faithful and just to me. But Donna says he is a good lover; and Donna is an honorable woman. Sam hath made so many mistakes of the heart – among them both Laurie and Mallory..."  
  
"Watch it," Leo warned with a stern glare.  
  
"Whose lives he did fill with...something I don't really care to know about... Does this is Sam seem a good lover?" Josh continued to the collective laughter, "When those poor women have cried, Sam hath wept; a good lover should be made of sterner stuff. Yet, Donna says he is a good lover, and Donna is a noble woman. You all did see that in that great white building, I thrice threatened Sam's life, which thrice he did acknowledge he'd kill himself before hurting Donna – is this the mark of a good lover?  
  
"Yet Donna says that he is a good lover, and, sure, she is an honorable woman. I speak not to disprove what Donna spoke, but here I am to speak what I do know. We all love this big goof, and not without cause; which gives us no cause not to roast him a little more," he said, lightly shaking Sam by the shoulder. "O Beer! Thou art going straight to our heads, and these men have lost their reason.... Bear with me, my heart will be on the altar with you, my friend, and I must pause till it comes back to me."  
  
Josh took a bow as applause erupted around him and he leaned down to hug Sam. "I wrote that all by myself," Josh said proudly, taking his seat at the table again.  
  
"That my friend," Sam answered with a laugh, "is obvious."  
  
"Hey!" Josh whined, a pout quickly forming on his face.  
  
Toby stood next, and raised his mug. "While I don't have a famous speech to brutally butcher, I do have these words to offer." He waved his mug around the room. "Learn from our mistakes, my friend. Never let a day go by without telling her that you love her. Never go to bed angry – not that we sleep much in this town anyway. And never, ever forget that we like Donna more than we like you – so don't screw this up."  
  
"Amen to that," Josh replied, lifting his mug and taking a long swig.  
  
Leo stood and crossed over to where Sam sat. "Sam and Josh and Toby – are like sons to me. Being included in their lives has made the loss of my son more bearable. I don't want to get all sappy," Leo said, noticing the suddenly sullen expressions around the room. "I only mention it to say, that I love these boys. They are my family and I couldn't be prouder of Sam if he was my very own son."  
  
Sam stood and enveloped Leo in a hug. "Thanks, Leo."  
  
Leo took a step away and patted Sam on the cheek. "I agree with Toby, though, don't screw this up."  
  
"Never," Sam answered emphatically.  
  
The doors to the pub swung open and several Secret Service agents entered, followed closely by the President.  
  
"You made it!" Sam exclaimed, hugging Jed Bartlet tightly.  
  
"You missed my speech," Josh complained with a frown.  
  
"Well, then I timed that perfectly," Jed replied, accepting a beer mug from Ed. "I can't stay but a minute," he explained. "Since my daughter and son- in-law are both engaging in drunken disorder tonight, they have quite intelligently left their daughter with Abbey and I. And no offense, but Emma's a hell of a lot cuter than any of you."  
  
He placed his hand on Sam's shoulder. "Donna is a wonderful woman, but I know you already know that. You two are a good fit – you'll do well together. I have a sixth sense about these things."  
  
"He also said that Ellie and I wouldn't last a year," Josh interjected.  
  
"He keeps forgetting that I have Secret Service agents just dying to shoot him," Jed replied, nodding in Josh's direction and grinning.  
  
"Stay and have a couple of beers with us," Sam encouraged. "It's already ten o'clock, Emma's probably asleep."  
  
"Yeah," Jed replied with a nod, "She was when I left her, but I like to watch her sleep. It's a grandfather thing, you'll understand someday."  
  
"I hope so, Mr. President," Sam answered with a grin.  
  
"Besides, I'd just be a drag. Nobody would want to get rip-roaring drunk around me. It's like a priest being around or something," he replied, downing the rest of the beer in his mug and setting in on the table.  
  
"Thank you for coming, Mr. President," Sam said, hugging the older man again. "It means a lot to me."  
  
"You all mean a lot to me," Jed countered, grinning at Sam.  
  
"Even me?" Josh teased.  
  
"Even you – but only because I'm getting two grandchildren out of you," he responded with a mock glare.  
  
"Good to know where I stand," Josh nodded approvingly.  
  
The President waved his goodbye and made his way out of the bar, leaving the assembled men to continue their roasting of the soon-to-be groom.

* * *

Hours later, Sam stumbled up the stairs to the condo he'd purchased with Donna, waving goodbye to the taxi still containing a hammered Josh and Toby. He watched the cab pull away and stuck his key into the lock, turning it and entering his house.  
  
He tried desperately to be quiet, not wanting to wake Donna, but only succeeded in missing the entry table and dropping his keys onto the hardwood floor with a loud clink. He padded down the hall to their bedroom, opening the door and sticking his head inside. Light from the hall flooded the room, illuminating Donna's sleeping form. He watched the gentle rise and fall of her breathing, mesmerized once again by her beauty.  
  
He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, opening the closet and kicking off his shoes.  
  
"You forgot to turn off the light in the hall," Donna said, startling Sam, who jumped nearly a foot in the air and pressed his hand over his racing heart.  
  
She flipped on the light on the nightstand and grinned. "Well, that was fun," she said with a laugh. "Have you ever noticed how jumpy you are when you've been drinking?"  
  
"That...is...not...nice," he stammered. "I'm not as young as I used to be. You could have given me a coronary."  
  
"Are you kidding me?" she scoffed, waving her hand in dismissal. "I'm going to at least wait until you've rewritten your will."  
  
"Very funny," he said sarcastically, unbuttoning his shirt and tossing it into the dirty clothes pile. He stripped off his undershirt and reached into the drawer for a clean one.  
  
"I thought it was," she answered with a smile, bringing her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "How was the party?"  
  
"It was great," he said enthusiastically, "Josh gave a really bad speech – he rewrote Marc Antony's speech from Julius Ceasar."  
  
Donna cringed. "He was supposed to let Toby write something for him."  
  
"He meant well," Sam shrugged. "How was your party?" he asked, climbing into bed beside her.  
  
"It was nice," she answered quickly.  
  
Sam eyed her suspiciously. "You had a stripper, didn't you?"  
  
"I claim no responsibility whatsoever," she replied with a giggle. "After all, C.J. and Ellie were in charge."  
  
"That's a yes," he groaned, snuggling closer to her under the comforter. "Turn off the light. I'll be mad about some hot stud having his hands all over my fiancée tomorrow."  
  
"Okay," she yawned, switching off the lamp and scooting into his embrace.  
  
TBC.... 


	2. Midnight Blue & Bombings

Disclaimer – I do not own these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. I do own Emma Lyman and any other characters I invent, but please feel free to borrow them. Just let me know what you're doing with them!  
  
Rating – PG-13  
  
Spoilers – this is a sequel to That Which Time Cannot Erase  
  
Pairings – Sam/Donna, Josh/Ellie  
  
Summary – Sam and Donna's wedding goes off without a hitch – yeah right, come on, how much fun would THAT be????  
  
**A/N – Many thanks to Spn1 – who provided the inspiration for this piece!**

* * *

Eleanor Bartlet Lyman spun around on the dais outside the dressing room, frowning at her figure reflected in the mirror. "It is a testament to our friendship that I'm doing this for you," she said with only the slightest hint of exasperation in her voice. "I look like a beached whale."  
  
Donna laughed from her spot on the white leather couch in the bridal shop. "You do not look like a beached whale. You're pregnant, Ellie, and you're gorgeous."  
  
"Did my husband pay you to say that?" Ellie teased, straightening the midnight blue silk with her fingers.  
  
"Nope, that was a freebie," Donna replied with a grin.  
  
C.J. exited another dressing room and stepped in front of the mirror. "Damn, I look good," she said assuredly, turning around so she could see the back of the dress. "I mean, is it me or do I look hot?"  
  
"You look very hot," Donna agreed with a nod. "You may even look hotter than the bride."  
  
C.J. rolled her eyes. "Perish the thought." She continued to admire her reflection in the mirror. "You know what I love about you, Miss Moss-soon- to-be-Seaborn? You have fabulous taste."  
  
"And here all this time, I thought you loved me for my bubbling personality," Donna teased.  
  
"So was Sam pissed about the stripper?" Ellie asked curiously while the bridal shop owner, Mrs. Kellogg, inspected the fit of her gown.  
  
"He was so drunk when he got home, I don't think he even remembers there was a stripper," Donna answered.  
  
Ellie shook her head with dismay. "Josh woke the entire neighborhood up. I swear that man does not comprehend the word 'quiet'. Thank God Emma was at the Residence. I'd hate to have to kill him now – the training is just starting to pay off."  
  
The women laughed at the idea of Josh Lyman being trained to do anything. "Andy wasn't so lucky," C.J. explained, "Toby was having a moment of inspiration and thought the twins needed to heed some of their father's wisdom."  
  
"Men," Donna sighed.  
  
"What are you sighing for?" C.J. laughed. "You have _Sam_. Ellie's the one stuck with Josh, and Andy's got Mr. Happy Pants."  
  
"Sam's pretty great," Donna smiled broadly. "I'm a lucky, lucky girl."  
  
"And he's an even luckier guy," Ellie interjected.  
  
"Amen to that," C.J. agreed with a nod.  
  
Mrs. Kellogg patted Ellie on the shoulder and told her she could go change, then set to work on C.J. Ellie emerged from the dressing room a minute later, pulling her hair out of her collar. She collapsed on the couch beside Donna. Donna's cell phone rang in her purse and she reached in to grab it.  
  
"Hello, Joshua," Donna said after checking the Caller ID.  
  
Ellie rolled her eyes and reached for the phone. "What do you want, Josh? We're busy women, there's a wedding in three days."  
  
"Hello, honey, I love you too, can I please speak to my assistant? She is my assistant, you know, in addition to being the bride," Josh griped.  
  
"Give me one good reason," Ellie demanded playfully.  
  
"There's been a bombing at the American Embassy in Syria," he explained with a sigh. "Happy now?"  
  
"Well, _no_, not exactly," she said with a frown, handing the phone back to Donna. "It's bad news."  
  
"Josh?" Donna asked curiously. She listened intently as he explained the situation.  
  
"I know you're doing the bridesmaids' dress thing and all, but I really need you back here," he said apologetically.  
  
"Don't worry about it, C.J. and I are on our way," Donna said with a shake of her head.  
  
C.J. emerged from the dressing room and stared at the women, who no longer wore the happy expressions they'd had when she stepped away. "What's up?" she asked cautiously.  
  
"There's been a bombing at the embassy in Syria," Donna explained, gathering her coat and purse.  
  
"Aw hell," C.J. moaned, grabbing her coat as well. She leaned over and helped Ellie stand from the couch. "I guess lunch is off."  
  
"Looks like it," Ellie agreed. "I'll run by the deli and bring you guys some food. I was going to take Josh something anyway."  
  
"You're an angel," Donna said, hugging Ellie quickly. "We'll see you in a little while."

* * *

Donna and C.J. rounded the first corner of the West Wing, falling right into step with Sam and Josh, who immediately began filling them in.  
  
"Car bomb set off right outside the front door of the embassy. We don't yet know how in the hell the car was allowed to get that close. 14 dead, 23 wounded, 5 of those critically. One was the ambassador's daughter, who was on her way home from school."  
  
"Dear Lord," C.J. groaned. "Anyone claiming responsibility?"  
  
"Not yet," Josh sighed, "Defense is working on it, though, agents talking to their contacts, that kind of thing."  
  
They made their way to the door of the White House Briefing Room and C.J. swung around to face them, grabbing a stack of papers from Josh. "Wish me luck," she said wearily, entering the room and taking the podium. "Good afternoon everyone," she began, "I have some information for you on the bombing, not much, but some..."  
  
TBC...


	3. Not Exactly Wedding Bells

Disclaimer – I do not own these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. I do own Emma Lyman and any other characters I invent, but please feel free to borrow them. Just let me know what you're doing with them!  
  
Rating – PG-13  
  
Spoilers – this is a sequel to That Which Time Cannot Erase  
  
Pairings – Sam/Donna, Josh/Ellie  
  
Summary – Sam and Donna's wedding goes off without a hitch – yeah right, come on, how much fun would THAT be????

* * *

Donna collapsed into Josh's desk chair, twirling the phone cord around her finger while she waited for someone in the Syrian hospital where the Ambassador's daughter was being treated to give her some information on the girl's condition.  
  
"Pick up!" she screamed into the phone.  
  
"Miss Moss?" a heavy accent greeted her and Donna winced, sincerely hoping that this person hadn't heard her rant. "I have news for you on Jenny Davenport."  
  
"Yes, thank you," Donna said, sitting up in the chair and tapping her fingernail nervously on the desk.  
  
"Miss Davenport is in surgery now. She suffered a compound fracture of her left leg, and has second and third degree burns over most of her body. She is also bleeding internally, and the surgeons will be removing her spleen."  
  
"Thank you for the information," Donna took a deep breath. "How long do the doctors expect the surgery to take?"  
  
"You may call back in a few hours, Miss Moss," the woman replied. "I am not sure."  
  
"Again, thank you," Donna said before replacing the phone in the cradle. She picked the phone up again, quickly dialing Josh's cell phone number. He didn't answer, and she dialed Carol instead, relaying the information on Jenny Davenport.  
  
She reached for the remote and flipped the television on. C.J. was in the middle of her third press briefing in as many hours. Unfortunately, they didn't know much more than they had three hours ago and the frustration was display prominently on C.J.'s face.  
  
Donna watched for a moment and picked up the phone again. She dialed her parent's hotel room and was surprised when she got an answer.  
  
"'Lo," her father said.  
  
"Hi, Daddy," Donna replied, trying to smile, even though she really felt like crying.  
  
"Hello, honey," Will Moss answered, "We're watching that nice C.J. on television right now. What the heck happened?"  
  
"There was a bombing at the embassy in Syria. The Ambassador's daughter was critically injured; she's in surgery right now. Other than that, you know what I know," Donna explained.  
  
"Well, that's just terrible." Donna could hear her mother in the background. "Hold on," her father said, "You're mother wants to talk to you."  
  
"Donna?" Sophia Moss asked tentatively.  
  
"Hi, Mom."  
  
"Donna? What are we going to do about the wedding? I've been watching the coverage and quite frankly, I just don't know how we're going to pull this off with you and Sam..."  
  
"Mom," Donna said, swallowing a sob, "can we maybe not talk about it for just a minute?"  
  
"Well, Donna," her mother replied, "I just assumed that's why you'd called. I mean, dear, the clock is ticking, dear, and there's still so much to do, and most of it we can't do without you and Sam and..."  
  
"Sophia, for God's sake," Donna could hear her father's intervening, "leave the poor girl alone. We'll figure this out."  
  
"This wedding is costing them a small fortune, Will, and..."  
  
"Sophia!"  
  
"Mom!"  
  
"WHAT?" she answered exasperatedly.  
  
"First of all," Donna began, not bothering to hide the irritation she felt, "I think I'm safe in saying that the security of the nation comes before my wedding. Second, I haven't talked to Sam, I have really no idea what's going on and..."  
  
Sirens suddenly interrupted Donna's rant. "Not...happening!" she moaned, dropping her head onto the desk and sighing.  
  
"Donna? Donna? Honey, what on earth is that noise?"  
  
"Lockdown, Mom," Donna groaned, her face still on the desk, "Those are the sirens indicating a lockdown."  
  
"What does that mean?" her mother demanded.  
  
"That means that I have to stay in Josh's chair, in Josh's office until I'm told I can leave," she answered.  
  
"But what about the..."  
  
"Mom," Donna raised her face from the desk. "I have to go now. I'll call you when I can." She replaced the phone in the cradle and then replaced her head on the desk.  
  
A Secret Service agent appeared in the door. "Miss Moss?" he asked over the din of the sirens. "Everything okay in here?"  
  
Donna didn't bother lifting her head from the desk, but contorted her fingers into an okay sign and raised it for the agent.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am," he nodded and left.  
  
Her cell phone rang and she flipped it open. "Yeah?" she said irritably.  
  
"Donna, baby, where are you?" Sam's voice was strained with worry.  
  
"Josh's office," she answered, her words slurred by her face now resting in her palm. "Where I'll apparently be until the day I die."  
  
"Nice attitude," he teased.  
  
She rolled her eyes in response. "Is there something you needed?"  
  
He laughed. "Just to tell you that I love you and to tell you what's going on. The NSA intercepted a threat – something specific to the D.C., area, we don't know anything more. They've locked down all federal buildings and the First Family is being taken underground."  
  
"Is that _all_?" she responded sarcastically. "Did the threat give a timeframe?"  
  
He didn't answer. "Sam?" she tried again.  
  
"Seventy-two hours," he said quietly.  
  
"WHAT!" she howled, instantly out of Josh's chair and pacing frantically. "We're getting married in seventy-two hours." She checked her watch. "Less than seventy-two hours, actually."  
  
"Donna, you're going to have to calm down..."  
  
"CALM DOWN?" she screeched. "You want me to calm down? The White House is going to be in lockdown for at least seventy-two hours, despite the fact that we are getting married in less than seventy-two hours, and..."  
  
"Donna, we're going to have to postpone the wedding."  
  
The tears she'd been holding back for hours finally began to fall. She collapsed into Josh's chair again, cradling the phone to her ear and sobbing. "I know," she sniffled, "I just didn't want to be the one to say it."  
  
"Yeah," he said softly. "Donna?"  
  
"Yes, Sam?"  
  
"I love you, and I'm going to marry you," he said emphatically, "Whether it's in less than seventy-two hours from now or seventy-two days from now."  
  
"You have no idea how much I needed to hear you say that," she replied, a weak smile forming on her lips.  
  
"Probably as much as I needed to say it," he said, his voice lighter than earlier. "We'll get through this, baby, I promise."  
  
"I'm holding you to that, Seaborn," she sighed.  
  
"Josh is taking the girls to the Residence and then we'll head back to the office. He's taking me along for moral support. We all know how Ellie likes going underground."  
  
"As much as I like my wedding being postponed?" she shot back.  
  
"Yeah," he laughed bitterly. "I love you."  
  
"Love you too, bye," she said, snapping the phone shut and resting her head on the desk again.  
  
TBC... 


	4. Cupcakes & To Do Lists

Disclaimer – I do not own these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. I do own Emma Lyman and any other characters I invent, but please feel free to borrow them. Just let me know what you're doing with them!  
  
Rating – PG-13  
  
Spoilers – this is a sequel to That Which Time Cannot Erase  
  
Pairings – Sam/Donna, Josh/Ellie  
  
Summary – Sam and Donna's wedding goes off without a hitch – yeah right, come on, how much fun would THAT be????  
  
**A/N – Thanks so much to Bartlegg for proofing this chapter and offering some wonderful suggestions!**

****

****

**

* * *

**

  
Sam took a deep breath as he walked back toward the West Wing with Josh – and their entourage of ten Secret Service agents. He was only half- listening to his best friend's rant, his mind focused on seeing Donna.  
  
"What the hell does she think?" Josh griped, his hands flailing wildly as he spoke. "Does she think this is fun for me? Does she think I enjoy sending my wife and child away while I'm stuck here?"  
  
"I think it has nothing to do with her not liking being underground," Sam explained, "I think it has more to do with you still being above ground."  
  
"Yeah," Josh sighed as they arrived at his office door. Donna's feet were propped up on his desk and she held a can of soda in her hand. Strewn over the desk were half a dozen chocolate cupcake wrappers. "What is this?" he asked curiously, a grin forming on his lips.  
  
"I'm depressed," she answered with a pout, sliding into Sam's strong arms as he pulled her out of the chair.  
  
"And you couldn't eat yourself into oblivion in your own office?" Josh asked, finding himself slightly jealous that Sam had the woman he loved in his arms, while Ellie and Emma were currently en route to a top secret location.  
  
"You have a T.V," she explained with a shrug.  
  
"So what do we need to do?" Sam asked, his tone still apologetic.  
  
She tore a sheet of paper in two. "You call everybody on your list, I'll call everybody on mine."  
  
"You're taking this well," Josh commented.  
  
She shot him her best evil look and shifted her weight to her other foot. "Somehow Lyman, this is your fault."  
  
"My fault?" he howled, poking himself in the chest. "How on earth could this possibly be my fault?"  
  
"Everything's your fault," she explained, breezing past him to retrieve her desk phone.  
  
"She's mad," Sam sighed.  
  
"Why is it my fault?" Josh demanded.  
  
"She just needs someone to take it out on," Sam said with a shrug. "You're the closest target." He examined his list and then tore it in half, handing one portion to Josh. "Get busy," he said.  
  
"Why do I have to make calls?"  
  
Sam grinned. "You heard the woman – it's your fault."

* * *

"No Mrs. Kellogg," Donna said, wiping a tear flowing down her cheek, "I still want the dresses, I just don't know when we're actually going to use them."  
  
"This must be difficult for you, dear," Mrs. Kellogg replied, sighing with empathy for Donna. "You know I'll do whatever I can."  
  
"Mrs. Kellogg, you have absolutely been the best, I just want you to know that," Donna replied.  
  
"It's been my pleasure," she laughed. "You've been one of my most delightful brides."  
  
Donna laughed as well. "Can I tell Ellie you said that?"  
  
"Of course," Mrs. Kellogg replied. "But, you'll have to tell her she was one of the delightful ones too."  
  
Donna replaced the phone in the cradle and sighed, crossing "Call Bridal Shop" off her list of to-dos. Sam sauntered up beside her desk and leaned on the edge. She gazed up at him with sad eyes.  
  
"I called everyone on my list," he said, handing her the marked up sheet of paper. "Josh is still arguing with the tuxedo shop."  
  
"Why are they arguing?" Donna asked curiously.  
  
Sam shrugged. "Everything's probably totally fine, Josh is just pissed."  
  
"I know the feeling," she scoffed.  
  
Sam knelt down beside her and took her hand in his. "I know this sucks," he said quietly.  
  
"Terrorists suck," she interjected, eliciting a smile from Sam.  
  
"That might be the understatement of the century, my dear," he laughed weakly.  
  
"Sam," she said softly, stroking his hand with her thumb, "calling this off is going to cost a lot of money."  
  
"It's okay," he said with a wave of his hand. "We didn't go nuts in planning it in the first place, so it's okay."  
  
"We'll have to start from scratch when this is all over," she replied, leaning back in her chair. "New date, new location, new everything – except the dresses."  
  
"Unless Ellie decides to have the baby early," Sam mused.  
  
"That's not even remotely funny, Sam," Donna warned.  
  
"She's only six weeks away as it is," he continued, receiving a soft swat on the arm.  
  
"Who's only six weeks away?" Josh asked curiously, striding up to the desk with his sheet of paper.  
  
"Your wife, Josh," Donna explained.  
  
"My wife? Six weeks from what?" Josh was oblivious to the obviousness of the answer.  
  
"From having your second child." Donna spoke flatly.  
  
"God," Josh answered, his eyes wide. "It's really only six weeks?"  
  
"Yep," Donna replied.  
  
"Man," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We've done nothing. The nursery's not even done. Emma's nursery was done, like, five months early."  
  
"They say that happens with the second child," Donna shrugged.  
  
"Yeah," he answered, his tone far-off while he made a mental list. His cell phone rang at his hip and he snatched it off. "Josh Lyman," he answered. He listened for a minute; then flipped the phone shut. "I gotta go," he said, "Security briefing."

* * *

Josh sauntered into the Oval Office, watching as his father-in-law paced the floor – his hands shoved into his pants pockets and an angry expression set firmly on his face. Josh sat down on the sofa beside Leo. "What's wrong with him?" he asked quietly.  
  
"What's wrong with me?" President Bartlet bellowed, glaring at Josh, who hadn't anticipated that the older man might actually hear him. "Embassies are being blown up, people are dying, my wife, children and grandchildren are in an underground bunker somewhere and you have the audacity to ask what's wrong with me?"  
  
Josh rolled his eyes. "Not to mention the threat to D.C., Mr. President."  
  
The President stopped his pacing and pointed at his Deputy. "One of these days, Lyman, my patience with you is going to run out and those agents really will shoot you," he threatened.  
  
The door to the Oval Office swung open again and Admiral Fitzwallace and Nancy McNally entered with the Directors of the CIA and NSA. "Mr. President," Fitzwallace began, "we have news."  
  
The President motioned for them to sit and took his place in the wing chair positioned at the head of the small circle the couches and chairs formed. The Admiral nodded at the Director of the NSA. "Mr. President," Adam Minor began slowly, "a small, and until now, minor splinter group of the Bahi organization has claimed responsibility for the bombing of the Syrian embassy. They say that if the United States doesn't pull all troops out of the Middle East, the bombings will continue."  
  
"The entire Middle East?" Josh asked, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."  
  
"So far that's what the message says," Minor shook his head, "the entire Middle East. They want the United States completely out of Muslim holy lands."  
  
"That's insane," Josh commented.  
  
"And they've proven their sanity up to this point how?" Bartlet countered sarcastically. He turned to Minor and nodded. "What else?"  
  
"We've intercepted radio traffic indicating that the threat to D.C. _is _specific to the White House, Sir," Minor continued. "How and when, we're still working on that."  
  
"I see," the President sighed heavily.  
  
"We have begun the evacuation of all personnel from the Syrian embassy and the evacuation of all non-essential personnel from all other embassies in the Middle East," Nancy said. "Ambassador Davenport refuses to leave Syria, though, not with Jenny in the hospital."  
  
"What's going on there, Josh?" the President asked his son-in-law.  
  
Josh quickly checked his watch before reporting. "Donna spoke with a nurse at the hospital about two hours ago, who told her that Jenny Davenport was going into surgery and advised Donna to call back later. I told her to check every two hours, so we should be getting an update soon."  
  
"What about the White House?" Leo asked Nancy.  
  
"I recommend the same plan – send all non-essential personnel home. Keep everyone else under close guard," she said with a light shrug.  
  
The President nodded authoritatively. "Let's do that, then."  
  
Leo stood, and everyone else followed suit. "Thanks everybody," he said, ushering everyone except Josh out. He turned back to the younger man and sighed. "Alright, get on it."  
  
"Yes, Sir," Josh said with a nod, swinging around to face the President. "Can I say something as your son-in-law, Mr. President?"  
  
Bartlet glanced up at him with tired and sad eyes and shifted in his chair. "Sure," he said weakly.  
  
Josh sat on the couch and leaned on his knees. "The girls are fine. They are stronger and tougher than you and I ever thought about being. And more importantly, they're safe. I'll worry about everything else with you, but just realize that the women we love are safe."  
  
Jed leaned forward and patted Josh on the knee. "Thanks," he said quietly.  
  
"You got it," Josh replied with a slight grin. "I'm gonna go get rid of everybody now."  
  
Leo pointed at Josh. "You can keep Donna if you want, but everybody else except Senior Staff and Charlie goes."  
  
"Okay," Josh answered, throwing open the door to the Oval Office and stepping outside.  
  
Leo sat down on the couch and stared at the President. Jed looked up at him and sighed again. "The wedding," he said under his breath.  
  
Leo shook his head. "Sam and Donna are taking care of it. Nothing's ever for certain when you work in the White House, and they know that," he said with a small grin.  
  
"Yeah, but this is just..."  
  
Leo nodded. "Yeah." He stood from the couch and clapped his hand onto Jed's shoulder. "I'm gonna go try and get rid of Margaret now."  
  
"Try?" the President asked with a slightly bemused tone.  
  
"You know Margaret," Leo replied with a grin, "She's the queen of 'I work until you stop working'."  
  
"Good luck with that," the President answered, standing and crossing over to his desk.  
  
"Thanks," Leo said, finally making his way back into his office.  
  
TBC... 


	5. Peace Offerings

Disclaimer – I do not own these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. I do own Emma Lyman and any other characters I invent, but please feel free to borrow them. Just let me know what you're doing with them!  
  
Rating – PG-13  
  
Spoilers – this is a sequel to That Which Time Cannot Erase  
  
Pairings – Sam/Donna, Josh/Ellie  
  
Summary – Sam and Donna's wedding goes off without a hitch – yeah right, come on, how much fun would THAT be????  
  
**A/N – Continuing thanks to Bartlegg for beta-ing this chapter and adding some marvelous (and very funny) insights!  
  
A/N 2 – Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed this piece! Your comments, suggestions and thoughts mean so much to me!  
**

* * *

Sam sat quietly at Josh's desk, scribbling notes for the television address the President would give in a few hours. He scratched his head and blinked quickly several times to relieve the blur in his eyes. A moment of writer's block overtook him, and he surrendered, glancing up at Donna, who was in one of Josh's visitors' chairs, proofing a section of the speech he was relatively happy with.  
  
She tapped her foot to a tune only she could hear and Sam smiled, his eyes traveling up the long legs draped over one chair into the other, to the hem of her gray skirt, to her small waist, up to the soft pink top she was wearing, finally settling on her face.  
  
"You're staring," she said softly, not bothering to divert her eyes from the speech.  
  
"Not my fault the view is so spectacular," he answered with a dimpled grin.  
  
Donna blushed slightly, a smile forming on her lips as she continued to peruse the sheets of yellow legal paper. "This is really good, honey," she complimented with an enthusiastic nod.  
  
"Thanks," he replied, standing from the desk and crossing over to her. He knelt down beside her and pressed light kisses up her bare arm.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked with an amused tone.  
  
"Kissing your arm," he replied with a shrug.  
  
Donna leaned her head back slightly and allowed the sensation of his lips on her skin to wash over her. "I can feel that," she said breathlessly, "but why are you kissing my arm?"  
  
He shrugged and rose up on his knees, trailing his kisses over the soft fabric of her blouse and onto her neck. "Writer's block," he answered.  
  
"We're in Josh's office," she gently reminded him.  
  
"Don't care," he shot back, moving the blonde hair off her shoulder to get better access to her soft neck. "He's in a briefing." His lips reached hers and he captured them in a searing kiss.  
  
"Oh for the love of God!" Josh exclaimed from the doorway, interrupting the moment, "Get a room, will you?"  
  
Donna could see Josh gaping at them and it made her blood boil. "We have one!" she exclaimed, stretching out her free foot to slam the door in her boss's face.  
  
As Donna remained disturbed in her seat, Sam pulled away from his bride-to- be and opened the office door. Josh walked in without a word.  
  
Donna cast an irritated glare at her boss. "Where did this gift of yours come from, Joshua?"  
  
Josh tossed his files onto his desk and glared back. "What gift would that be, Donnatella?"  
  
"Your gift for making my life miserable!" she exclaimed, shaking the speech in her hands out of frustration.  
  
"Oh, yeah, Donna, I _so _planned this," he shot back, his own tone growing heated. "See, I didn't like the way I looked in my tux, so I arranged for someone to bomb the embassy and threaten the White House. It's all part of my plan to take over the world and make your life a living hell!"  
  
"Don't get cute with me Lyman," she said angrily, on her feet and poking her finger at him. "I just had to cancel her entire wedding – a wedding, which by the way, I worked on for eight months. I am not a happy camper at the moment."  
  
"And I am?!" he shrieked. "At least you're here with Sam. I don't have the foggiest where my wife and kid are! At least if the White House blows up, you two will be together. I've got to face Ellie and Emma going on without me!"  
  
Donna's face fell and she sat down hard in her chair. Sam patted her knee sympathetically and glanced up at his best friend. "Okay," he said quietly, "now that that's out of your systems, we should all get back to work."  
  
"Yeah," Josh answered, his jaw still set firmly and his hands still planted on his hips.  
  
"Yeah," Donna echoed quietly, rising from the chair again. She turned without another word and made her way back to her desk.  
  
Josh turned to Sam. "I know she's angry, Sam, but there's no reason to take it out on me."  
  
"I know," Sam nodded, "she's just frustrated, and you're the closest target."  
  
Josh rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Actually, you are the closest target."  
  
"Yeah," he replied with a grin, "but she loves me."  
  
Josh snorted. "She is _so_ marrying you for your money, dude," he said jokingly.  
  
"Maybe, but I'm getting a really hot wife out of the deal," Sam shot back with a laugh, tapping his hand on the doorframe and stepping out of Josh's office.  
  
He crossed over to Donna's desk and leaned on the wall. She swiped her eyes with a tissue and then blew her nose. "I shouldn't have said that," she sobbed quietly, "I know this is hard for him too. I just..."  
  
Sam knelt down beside her and took her left hand in both of his. "You're just tired and frustrated and upset, honey, he understands."  
  
She nodded weakly and Sam stood, pulling Donna out of her chair and into his arms. "I love you so much," he said into her hair, inhaling the scent of her vanilla shampoo.  
  
"I love you too," she said quietly, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
Josh rounded the corner of her cubicle and stopped just inside the doorframe. He held out another of the chocolate cupcakes Donna had been eating before. "Peace offering," he said with a dimpled, lop-sided grin.  
  
Donna laughed and stepped out of Sam's embrace and into Josh's. He brought a hand up to her hair and squeezed her tightly. "Donna," he said quietly, "you are one of my best friends and if taking it out on me makes this easier for you; then...I'll give you my baseball bat."  
  
"The wooden one or the Nerf one?" she asked with a soft smile of her own.  
  
He pulled away and grinned. "The Nerf one, Donna. I'm trying to be sympathetic, but I'm not a complete idiot."  
  
She tilted her head to one side and considered his offer. "I think I'm okay right now, but I reserve the right to request the bat at any time."  
  
"Deal," Josh nodded and pointed back to his office. "I'm gonna go back in there and try to get some work done. Would you mind calling Syria again about Jenny?"  
  
"Sure," Donna said, already sitting down at her desk and lifting the phone from the cradle.  
  
"Thanks," he answered, turning to Sam.  
  
"I'm gonna grab a desk over there," Sam pointed to a dark corner of the bullpen, "and keep working." He started to step away and then turned back to Josh. "By the way, where in the hell is Toby?"  
  
"You're on your own at the moment," Josh shrugged. "Toby's on the outside looking in, desperately trying to find a fax machine. He'll call you when he finds one."  
  
"Where is he, exactly?" Sam questioned with a frown.  
  
"Last I heard," Josh said with a sly grin, "Starbucks."  
  
Sam was incredulous. "Starbucks has a fax machine?"  
  
Josh snickered. "They tried a telephone, but people complained they talked to fast."  
  
"Marvelous," Sam deadpanned, shaking his head in dismay. "So, I'm gonna finish this speech and then start on the one explaining how and why the White House Communications Director went insane inside Starbucks."  
  
"Yeah," Josh answered, turning on his heels and heading back to his office, leaving Sam to sigh heavily and head toward the empty desk.  
  
TBC... 


	6. Slumber Party

Disclaimer – I do not own these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. I do own Emma Lyman and any other characters I invent, but please feel free to borrow them. Just let me know what you're doing with them!  
  
Rating – PG-13  
  
Spoilers – this is a sequel to That Which Time Cannot Erase  
  
Pairings – Sam/Donna, Josh/Ellie  
  
Summary – Sam and Donna's wedding goes off without a hitch – yeah right, come on, how much fun would THAT be????  
  
A/N - As always, many, many thank yous to Bartlegg for previewing this chapter and adding many wonderfully funny lines to the chapter! You have an amazing gift for writing comedy and I'm so thankful you've shared that gift with me!

* * *

Josh stretched and yawned, then pushed back the sleeve of his shirt to take a quick peek at his watch. 2:13 a.m. His mind wandered to Eleanor – wherever she and Emma were at the moment. He hoped that Ellie hadn't had too difficult of a time getting their eighteen-month old daughter to sleep in an unfamiliar place. He wished he could be there to tuck her in.  
  
"Josh?" the President said quietly from his spot in his Oval Office wingchair, "why don't you head up to the Residence and get some sleep? We can call you if something comes up."  
  
"No, Sir, thanks, I'm fine," Josh lied, righting himself on the sofa and rubbing his eyes. He glanced around the Oval Office, the dimmed lights casting a soft glow on the features of all assembled in the room. "I don't sleep until you sleep, remember?" he said with a slight smile.  
  
"Yeah, how unlucky for you that I'm a registered insomniac." Jed nodded, smiling gratefully at his son-in-law.  
  
There was a knock on the door to the Oval Office and the President said loudly, "Come in!"  
  
Admiral Fitzwallace, Nancy McNally, and Adam Minor entered dutifully. This would be the group's fifteenth briefing for the President since the bombing. Each took a seat in the circle before beginning to speak. "Mr. President," Nancy began quietly, "we have a development," she smiled softly. "I think you'll be pleased."  
  
"Mr. President," Minor stated, "a little over an hour ago, D.C. police, working in conjunction with the combination FBI, NSA and CIA force you authorized, apprehended four members of the Bahi splinter group in a room at the Latham Georgetown Hotel." Minor laid a series of photographs on the coffee table. "The agents found enough C-4 to level at least one wing of the White House."  
  
Josh took the photograph the President handed him and examined it. It showed a small hotel room loaded with more bomb making materials than Josh had ever seen. "God," Josh said under his breath.  
  
"Yeah," Minor said quietly, allowing the finding to sink in slowly before continuing. "One of the members, Hassan Abdul, is beginning to provide us with very valuable information, including the targets of the other planned attacks."  
  
"What are they?" the President asked curiously.  
  
"The group is going after the embassies in Paris, Lisbon and Ankara, Turkey," Minor explained.  
  
"Why these embassies?" Leo demanded.  
  
Minor shrugged. "The locations of these three embassies are more difficult to defend than others. They're older, in the center of town..."  
  
"What's being done now?" Jed asked.  
  
"Teams are en route to defend the embassies from attack. Streets around the embassies are being closed off completely," Minor explained.  
  
"Our people are out?" the President continued.  
  
"Yes, Sir, our people are safe. Essential personnel have also been evacuated," Minor answered.  
  
"And you're sure the threat to the White House has been neutralized?" Leo inquired.  
  
"Abdul says it was just the four of them," Minor said reluctantly, "but I'd like more time before I say I'm sure."  
  
"You have all the time you need, Adam," the President assured him.  
  
Minor stood, as did Fitzwallace and Nancy. "Thank you sir," they said in unison before departing.  
  
The President, Leo, Josh and Ron Butterfield simply stared at each other. For the first time in seven years of the Administration, a threat to the White House had never been more real. "Ron," the President said softly, "we'll remain under lockdown until Adam is sure."  
  
"Yes, Sir," Ron replied gravely.  
  
"In the meantime," the President said, standing, "let's all get some sleep, shall we?"  
  
Josh remained in the Oval Office with his father-in-law. "I'll meet you in the Residence in a few minutes, Mr. President," he said, tapping his finger on the President's desk.  
  
"Josh, it's just you and me, you can call me Jed. I've told you that a million times," he replied, somewhat exasperatedly.  
  
Josh grinned. "Yes, Mr. President, I know you did, but until Leo starts calling you Jed, I'm not about to," he answered.  
  
"Hmmph, " Jed scoffed, tossing several files into his briefcase. "Fine Mr. Deputy Chief of Staff, but don't expect me to use your first name until you use mine." He straightened up and tossed his jacket over his head, sliding his arms into the sleeves with ease. "Charlie!" he bellowed towards the closed office door.  
  
Charlie poked his head inside. "Yes, Mr. President?"  
  
Jed pointed back toward Charlie's desk. "Get your stuff, Charlie, let's go. I'm tired."  
  
Josh noticed Charlie's slightly embarrassed expression. "I don't need to stay in the Residence, Sir."  
  
Jed stared at Charlie; then rolled his eyes. "Charlie, my boy, this may be the only time I let you sleep in my daughter's bed and not go ballistic. I suggest you get your stuff and come on."  
  
"What about Josh and Leo?" Charlie asked.  
  
"Leo's gathering his things and Josh is going back to his office to get C.J., Sam and Donna. We're having a regular slumber party," Jed grumbled.  
  
"Yes, Mr. President," Charlie said with a nod, heading back toward his office.  
  
Josh pointed at the door. "Meet you up in there in about fifteen?"  
  
"Yeah," Jed answered, grabbing his briefcase, "I'll have the beer waiting."  
  
"Thank you, Mr. President," Josh said politely before stepping out of the office. He made his way through the eerily quiet hallways of the West Wing toward his own door. In seven years of the Bartlet Administration, he'd never seen the White House this quiet, and it terrified him. The door to his office was closed and he opened it quietly, finding it empty. He grabbed his backpack off the floor and his change of clothes from the closet. He stepped out of the office and shut the door again, heading this time for C.J.'s office. He rapped lightly on her door and was greeted with a soft, "Yeah?"  
  
He opened the door and smiled at the disheveled Press Secretary. "The President says to Grab your stuff and come on. We're all sleeping in the Residence tonight."  
  
CJ halted her actions and looked up at Josh. "Wow, I've never had a guy be that direct before..."  
  
Josh seemed embarrassed at his gaff, "No, CJ, I mean we're all, all of us, sleeping with the President in the residence..."  
  
CJ's eyes widened a little more. "We're all sleeping with the president? Does Abbey know?"  
  
Josh shook his head vigorously. "No, no, its because..."  
  
CJ interrupted. "I know Sparky. I was just bein' smart."  
  
"More like dirty."  
  
CJ ignored this last statement. "So who's bringing the popcorn and sodas?" she asked sarcastically, running a hand through her hair.  
  
"I wish it was that kind of party," Josh said with a soft laugh as he watched C.J. gather her belongings.  
  
"Okay, I'm ready," she said finally, making her way to Josh, who was hanging in the doorway. "Who are we lacking?"  
  
"The lovebirds," Josh said with a sigh. "I was hoping they might hear me walking around and stop whatever they might be doing."  
  
C.J. grinned. "Walk in on something, did you?"  
  
Josh rolled his eyes. "They were about to defile my office furniture."  
  
"Not any more than it's already been defiled," C.J. shot back.  
  
"She's my wife and it's my office," he replied irritably, winding through the maze of offices to the Communications bullpen. He pounded on Sam's closed office door. "Wake-y, wake-y," he said loudly, continuing the pounding.  
  
The door swung open and Donna reached out, grabbing Josh by the ear and dragging him inside. "I hate you," she said with a yawn, sitting down on the couch beside Sam. "We JUST got to sleep."  
  
"That was way more information than I really needed," Josh answered.  
  
"You really are an ass, you know that?"  
  
"What's up?" Sam changed the subject quickly as he sat up from the couch.  
  
"Get your stuff, we're sleeping in the Residence tonight," Josh explained.  
  
"They got four of the guys, but we're still under lockdown until Minor clears us."  
  
"They got the guys?" Donna asked brightly. "That's great!"  
  
"Don't get too excited there, Donnatella," Josh explained with a dimpled grin, "I said they got four of the guys, there could be more."  
  
Donna glanced over at Sam. "It's like he's the official 'take the wind out of my sails' guy." Sam smiled and patted her on the arm. "Okay, fine," she said with a shake of her head, "Whatever, let's go, I'm tired."  
  
Sam and Donna gathered their belongings and headed for the Residence with Josh and C.J. They fell out of line in succession – Josh dropping off when he reached the door to Ellie's old room, Sam and Donna taking the next bedroom, and C.J. another.  
  
"Maybe this will all be over by tomorrow," Donna chatted excitedly as she pushed the covers off the bed and climbed inside.  
  
"Yeah, maybe," Sam said somewhat reluctantly, knowing full-well that even if the lockdown were lifted by tomorrow morning, they'd be hard pressed to salvage anything of their already cancelled wedding. She snuggled in beside him and Sam wrapped an arm around her waist. "I love you Sam Seaborn," she said with a sleep-heavy voice.  
  
"I love you too, Donnatella," he replied, pressing a kiss to her blonde hair.  
  
TBC...


	7. Nerf Bat Beatings

Disclaimer – I do not own these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. I do own Emma Lyman and any other characters I invent, but please feel free to borrow them. Just let me know what you're doing with them!

Rating – PG-13

Spoilers – this is a sequel to That Which Time Cannot Erase

Pairings – Sam/Donna, Josh/Ellie

Summary – Sam and Donna's wedding goes off without a hitch – yeah right, come on, how much fun would THAT be????

**A/N - Continuing thanks to Bartlegg for beta reading this chapter and for adding to the Nerf Bat Beating. I know you've been waiting, so here it is....**

* * *

The next morning, Donna strode into Josh's office with two cups of coffee in her hand. "Good morning," she said brightly, handing one cup to Sam.

"You got me coffee?" Josh asked incredulously, staring at his assistant with wide-eyed amazement.

Donna rolled her eyes. "Perish the thought," she said with a scoff, "you are perfectly capable of getting your own coffee."

"So is Sam," Josh said under his breath, tilting his head back down to the security memo he'd been reading when she came in.

"I heard that," Donna replied, plopping down on the couch beside Sam. "So, what's the good word?"

"Well," Josh said carefully, taking a deep breath before continuing, "the lockdown is officially over..."

"Great!" Donna exclaimed, bounding off the couch and heading for the doorway. "I'll start calling around and..."

"Donna!" Josh and Sam said in unison. She spun around to face them, her eyes lit up with happiness – breaking both men's hearts.

"Yes?" she asked curiously.

The men exchanged nervous glances, silently daring the other to be the first to speak. Josh figured that it would be better for her to be mad at him instead of Sam, so he spoke first. "Donna, the wedding is still off," he said quietly.

"But..." she stammered, her tone confused. "You just said that the lockdown..."

"The threat to the embassies is still imminent," Josh explained.

Sam continued, trying his best to use a calming voice. "The president will..."

"-He'll need our help still, I know," she said, her voice cracking with the tears forming in her eyes. She turned to Sam, her eyes pleading. .

He diverted his eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

Donna turned back to Josh. "Josh?" she asked quietly, hanging her head in defeat.

Josh stood from his desk and crossed over to her. He attempted to wrap his arm around her shoulders, but she pushed his hand away. "Yes, Donna?"

"Bat, Joshua," she said angrily, holding out her hand. "Now."

Josh nodded silently and opened his closet door, leaning in to retrieve the Nerf bat and then handing it to her. Donna took a deep breath and turned to face him. She raised her hand and Josh braced himself for the impact. She took a swing, connecting with his arm in a loud thud.

"Ow!" he howled, rubbing the spot where the Styrofoam had connected. "That hurts!"

"It can't hurt," she yelled, beating him repeatedly over the back with the bat. "It's a Nerf bat!"

"Yeah," he replied, trying to duck the blows, "but you're like...vicious!"

She popped him once more on the shoulder and then began taking her frustrations out on his desk. "I hate this building!" she exclaimed, slamming the bat down on the hard oak desk with a fury neither man had ever seen before, "I hate this job!" she said, hitting Josh's bookcase with the purple Styrofoam, causing a large law book to fall on her boss's head. "I just wanted a normal wedding!" she cried, the tears in her eyes finally spilling down her cheeks.

Sam had seen enough and stood from the couch, crossing over to his fiancée and wrapping his arms around her waist, removing the bat from her hands and laying it on the desk. Donna began to sob, allowing Sam's strong arms to hold her up while she let the tears fall. "Everything's ruined," she cried, resting her head back on Sam's shoulder.

"I know, but our love will never be ruined." he said softly, trying to soothe her.

Donna managed her words between sniffles and sobs, "That...is one of the... corniest things I've ever heard, Sam." She continued to rest on her fiancée.

"Donna," Josh began before being cut off by a furious glare from his assistant.

"Shut up, Josh. Don't talk to me," she warned, suddenly looking up from Sam's shoulder.

"But, Donna, I was just going to say..."

She picked up the Nerf bat and popped him over the head with it. Emma squealed with delight from the doorway as her father rubbed his aching head. "Daddy! Booboo?" she said brightly, holding out her tiny chubby arms to him.

Josh took his daughter into his arms. "No booboo sweetheart. Anyway, Daddy deserves it."

"I didn't know you had a Nerf bat," Ellie said with an amused tone, watching Emma giggle wildly. "We need one of those at home."

"That's specifically why we don't have one," he said with a raised eyebrow, taking her into his arms and holding onto both Ellie and Emma for dear life, if only for a moment. He kissed his wife lovingly, touching their foreheads together before showering his little girl with affection.

Ellie crossed the length of the office and enveloped Donna into her arms while she cried. She stroked Donna's hair and whispered something the men couldn't hear to her friend. Ellie's words seemed to soothe her, and Donna smiled softly. Ellie then turned back to Josh. "Leo needs you, Honey."

"Why didn't he call?" Josh asked curiously, disentangling his daughter's hand from his tie.

Ellie shrugged. "Probably because I passed him in the hall and he knows I'm capable of delivering a message to my own husband."

"I wasn't..." he stammered. "I wasn't implying...oh never mind," he sighed, turning back to Sam and missing the flash of a smile crossing Eleanor's features. "I'll be back," he said quietly, following his wife down to Leo's office. He stepped inside, surprised to find the President, the First Lady, Zoey Bartlet, Charlie, C.J., Toby and Leo all in attendance. "What is this?" he demanded.

"First of all," the President began, "surrender my granddaughter and second, shut the door."

Josh did as he was told and leaned against the closed door with his arms folded across his chest.

"We're planning a wedding," Abbey Bartlet explained, handing each person in attendance a sheet of paper. "On this sheet are your responsibilities in this little swaray. But, so everyone knows what the others are doing, I'm going to spell it out for all of you."

Josh raised his hand. "Can I ask a question, here? Who exactly are we planning this wedding for?" His questioned was answered with a hard swat to his chest from his wife.

"Josh," Jed said with a shake of his head, "you remember what your teacher said in school about there being no stupid questions?"

"Yeah." Josh replied with a grin.

"She was just building your self esteem." Jed answered with a straight face.

Josh stood tall. "Well, it worked didn't it?"

The president swayed his head knowingly. "Much too well."

"Now that we've cleared that up," Abbey said with a wave of her hand, "Jed, you're in charge of finding someone to make this all legal; Leo, you'll gather the families and sneak them here; Josh, you're calling the travel agent and remaking all their honeymoon plans, or just book them someplace else fabulous, Jed and I are paying; Toby, you're going after the tuxes and their rings; C.J., you're in charge of picking up the dresses from Mrs. Kellogg and getting the bouquets; Zoey and Charlie, you're on distraction patrol – don't let Sam or Donna anywhere near the Rose Garden or the Ballroom; and finally," she said with a mock deep breath; "Ellie and I are doing everything else – food, ambiance, you name it."

"Are you going to make us synchronize our watches?" Josh inquired.

Abbey spun around and glared at him – one eyebrow raised in exasperation. "I hear Donna was beating the hell out of you with a Nerf bat. Keep it up – they'll be one in every White House office and every room of your home."

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied, swallowing hard and wishing everyone in the room would wipe the smirks off their faces.

"Okay," she continued, "you all have your jobs, so get with it. This wedding goes off tomorrow night, people."

"You heard the woman," Jed said, heading for the Oval Office door with Emma still cradled in his arms. "We have a wedding to put on!"

TBC...


	8. Missions and Misdirection

Disclaimer – I do not own these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. I do own Emma Lyman and any other characters I invent, but please feel free to borrow them. Just let me know what you're doing with them!  
  
Rating – PG-13  
  
Spoilers – this is a sequel to That Which Time Cannot Erase  
  
Pairings – Sam/Donna, Josh/Ellie  
  
Summary – Sam and Donna's wedding goes off without a hitch – yeah right, come on, how much fun would THAT be????  
  
**A/N - Special thanks, as with each chapter, to Bartlegg for proofing my work and adding such wonderful...sometimes touching, sometimes utterly hilarious scenes and lines, and for pushing me to make this story better!**

* * *

The West Wing was a flurry of activity that afternoon, especially considering the limited number of staff persons who'd been allowed back into the building following the lockdown. Both C.J. and Toby had left the building without telling anyone where they were going, although Toby mumbled something to Ginger about having left something at Starbucks.  
  
Donna sat at her desk, tapping her pencil on the wood while waiting for an update on Jenny Davenport's condition. Sam rounded the corner of her cubicle and poked his head inside.  
  
"Hi," he said somewhat distractedly.  
  
"Hi," Donna repeated, offering him a soft smile.  
  
"You're very beautiful when you do that, you know?" Sam replied, finding himself lost in her eyes as a smile took over his own face.  
  
Donna blushed and hung her head down, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders and hiding her flushed face. "I thought I was beautiful all of the time?" she asked quietly.  
  
Sam leaned in close to Donna's sultry face. "You are."  
  
Donna smiled knowingly, letting the phone slide slightly to her shoulder, tugging on Sam's tie until his face was centimeters from her own. "Then kiss me."  
  
Sam puckered up, lost in euphoric office lust, when for a split second he looked out the window of the cubicle. All of the nearby assistants and interns peered through the glass, eagerly watching the display. Sam took the embarrassment in stride as he stood up. "I feel bad," he said loudly so all of the onlookers could hear him, "they must be desperate."  
  
Donna spun around, purposely avoiding a glance outside of the cubicle. "You can't kiss me in public? What are you going to do at our wedding?"  
  
Sam relaxed as everyone pretended to go back to work. "I'll figure something out."  
  
Donna rolled her eyes in dismay. "So what did you need?"  
  
"Have you seen Toby or C.J.?" he inquired.  
  
"No," she said, shaking her head, "have you seen Josh?"  
  
"Not in the last couple of hours," Sam frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Is it just me or is everyone acting…"  
  
Donna held up her finger to indicate that someone had finally come onto the line. "Yes, my name is Donna Moss, and I'm calling on behalf of the White House. Is Jenny Davenport out of surgery yet?"  
  
Donna listened for a moment; then answered, "Yes, that's wonderful news, thank you very much. Would you please let the Ambassador and his wife know that I called?"  
  
She replaced the phone in the cradle and turned back to Sam, not missing a beat. "Jenny is out of surgery and the doctors expect a full recovery. And as for your earlier question, yes, everyone is acting very strange," she replied, finishing his sentence for him.  
  
"What do you think is going on?" he asked curiously.  
  
Donna glanced around furtively and momentarily put a finger to her lips, talking in a whisper. "I think- I think we're dreaming…"  
  
"Really?" Sam replied, "Both of us…the same dream?"  
  
Like a mousetrap Donna slapped her fiancé lovingly across the back of the head. "Don't you ever call me ditzy ever again, Samuel Stupefied Seaborn."  
  
Sam smiled. "It's been a long day. So tell me honestly."  
  
"Honestly?" Donna asked, receiving a nod from her fiancé, "I think it's because everyone feels guilty about the wedding."  
  
"Oh," was all Sam could think to say.

* * *

Charlie hurried down the halls of the West Wing, dodging the Communications bullpen to avoid Sam and attempting to avoid Josh's office. The President was waiting on the list in his hand – a list of judges to call about Sam and Donna's wedding. He could see them by Donna's desk, engrossed in conversation. He sped up, hoping to get past them without being seen…  
  
"Charlie!" Donna called from her desk.  
  
"Damn," Charlie thought, whipping around to face both Donna and Sam.  
  
Donna crossed her arms over her chest and Charlie tried his best to look relaxed, turning the sheet in his hand from view. "Do you know where Josh is?" she demanded.  
  
"I do, actually," Charlie answered, keeping eye contact with the irritated blonde before him. "He's with Leo."  
  
"No, he's not," Donna corrected, offering Charlie a stern glare, "I already checked. Margaret said that Leo's been on the phone all afternoon and that Josh came in for two seconds, then left."  
  
"Then I amend my previous statement," Charlie answered with a grin, "I have absolutely no idea where Josh is."  
  
"What about C.J. or Toby?" Sam inquired.  
  
Charlie shrugged. "Sorry, it's only my job to keep up with the President, whereby I usually know where Leo is, but other than that…"  
  
"You're absolutely no help," Donna sighed.  
  
"Well, I would have put it a little more tactfully, but yeah," Charlie replied.  
  
"Charlie," Sam began, running a hand through his hair, "is it just us, or is everyone acting strange?"  
  
Charlie laughed. "Sam, this is the weirdest group of people I've ever been around. That being said, am I really the person to ask if everyone's acting strange?"  
  
"Apparently not," Sam replied with a quick eye roll.  
  
Charlie nodded at each of them and made his way down the hall again toward the Oval Office. He knocked quickly and stepped inside; finding Leo and Josh huddled over the desk with the President.  
  
"The list, Charlie, do you have the list?" the President bellowed.  
  
Charlie raised the paper in answer and strode over to Bartlet, quickly handing him the list. Charlie turned his attention to Josh. "Donna's looking for you," he said, "and I have a feeling that if she doesn't find you in the next two minutes, her head's going to explode."  
  
"Okay," Josh sighed, turning to Leo and Jed, who waved him out. Josh wound through the maze of offices back to his own, encountering his assistant, who was standing in the doorway. "I don't think the terrorists want me specifically, Donna," he teased, ducking underneath her arm and into his office. "There's no need to guard my door."  
  
Donna glared at him and spun around to face him, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest. "I hear the Nerf bat beating is becoming the stuff of legends. Don't make me give the masses a sequel."  
  
He ignored the comment and opened the candy jar on his desk, tossing a couple of M&M's into his mouth. "Charlie said you were looking for me."  
  
"I am," Donna replied, leaning on his desk with her outstretched palms, "everybody's acting strange today and I want to know why."  
  
"Why do you think people are acting strange?" he questioned.  
  
"C.J. and Toby just bolted, without telling anyone where they were going, Ellie won't answer her cell phone and Charlie's lying through his teeth," she explained, adding with a whine, "and nobody will even so much as look at Sam and I. Well, except when we're…"  
  
"I don't know where C.J. is," Josh lied with a dimpled grin, "Toby forgot some memos at Starbucks; Emma is napping, which explains why Ellie's cell phone is off; and if Charlie is lying to you, it's not some conspiracy."  
  
"There's just too much activity around here for such a small staff," she countered.  
  
"And that couldn't possibly be because 30 people are currently doing the jobs of 300?" he asked with a slight smirk.  
  
"Have I mentioned in the last five minutes that I hate you?" she replied.  
  
Josh glanced down at his watch. "By my calculations it's been six hours, three minutes and 32 seconds," he answered.  
  
She picked up a stress relief ball and threw it at his head. "Ow!" he howled, rubbing the spot where the ball had connected. "I'm really starting to take offense!"  
  
Donna stood and straightened her skirt with her hands. "Looks more like defense to me," she shot back, "At least my stress level has gone down."  
  
"So glad to hear it," Josh said dramatically. His intense sarcasm was not lost on his assistant.  
  
She stepped up to his desk and glared at him. "You're up to something, I can feel it. I'm never wrong about these things, Joshua and I intend to find out what's going on."  
  
"Thanks for the warning," he answered under his breath. She picked up the stress ball again and hurled it at his head again. "Why are you beating on me?" he demanded.  
  
She shrugged. "It started off just being fun. Now, I just honestly think you deserve it."  
  
He pointed at the door. "Get out of my office and get some work done. I'd like to get out of here tonight before midnight." Donna turned on her heels and stalked toward the door. "And shut the door behind you!" he called after her retreating form.  
  
Josh picked up the phone just as his office door slammed shut. He quickly dialed his wife's cell phone number and waited for her to answer. "We may have a problem," he sighed. "Donna's gone psycho and I think she's on to us. I think it's time for drastic measures…"

* * *

Ellie zipped through the halls of the West Wing, heading to the Ballroom with two of her Secret Service agents in tow. Ben and Chris usually refused to carry any packages for the First Daughter, but this time they were making an exception.  
  
Her eyes swept the hallways from side to side, looking for any trace of Sam or Donna. Agents had been assigned to discreetly follow the couple, to report their whereabouts at any given time. Supposedly, Sam was holed up in his office, polishing an address for the President; an update on the Syrian bombing her father would deliver in about an hour. Donna was on the phone with Nancy McNally's office, trying to arrange for Jenny Davenport to be transported to a military hospital in Germany.  
  
"Barbie's on her way, Dr. Lyman," Ben said quietly, referring to Donna's Secret Service codename. "She's apparently heard you were back in the building."  
  
"We should speed it up, ma'am," Chris offered.  
  
Ellie stopped in the hallway and dropped the bags she'd been carrying before glaring at both of them. "I am eight and a half months pregnant, running through the halls of the West Wing, which by the way, any doctor worth his salt would advise is a really bad idea and you want me to speed it up?" she demanded. She divided the rest of her bags between the two burly agents. "How 'bout this? _You _take all the bags and _you_ speed it up. I will stay here and deal with Barbie."  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Ben sighed, motioning for Chris to follow. "Don't move from this spot," he ordered. The two men hurried down the hallway, out of Donna's sight. She rounded the corner and found Ellie casually picking up a newspaper.  
  
"There you are!" Donna called out, striding up to the shorter brunette.  
  
"Were we playing hide and seek and you didn't tell me?" Ellie teased, swatting Donna on the arm.  
  
"You're a riot, El," Donna replied, grabbing Ellie by the elbow before noticing a bag by Ellie's feet. Ellie's eyes followed Donna's down to the large brown bag and she silently cursed herself for being so careless. "What's that?" Donna demanded, pointing at the bag.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Ellie countered coolly.  
  
Donna spun Eleanor around to face the bag. "Something fishy's going on here. Senior Staff is disappearing left and right, not telling anyone where they are going, Josh has been on the phone all afternoon behind closed doors – no body will look Sam or I in the eyes and you're walking around with a bag of CD's…" she sighed in frustration.  
  
"That's not mine," Ellie lied.  
  
Donna gave Ellie her best "I'm not that stupid look" and leaned over to retrieve one of the CD"s from the bag, reading from the small white label attached, "Property of Joshua Lyman."  
  
"See, I told you it wasn't mine."  
  
"Ellie!"  
  
Ellie smiled and patted Donna's arm. "Okay," she answered, leading Donna over to an empty desk and sitting her down in the chair. "You win. You want to know what's going on, I'll tell you. My parents have the Senior Staff planning a party for everyone, sort of an 'I'm sorry you got kicked out of the building and couldn't come to work' party," she lied.  
  
"Really?" Donna asked in disbelief.  
  
"Really," Ellie replied. "And Josh has been on the phone all afternoon working on another surprise for you and Sam."  
  
"Really?" Donna asked again, this time her tone tinged with happiness. "What is it?"  
  
Ellie smoothed a section of her friend's blonde hair. "It wouldn't exactly be a surprise if I told you, would it? You'll find out at the party. But, don't say anything, nobody else knows."  
  
"When's the party?" Donna inquired.  
  
"Starts tomorrow afternoon," Ellie answered, "Mom's still working on a time with the chefs. You know how she is, everything has to be perfect."  
  
"That's so nice," Donna said with a smile.  
  
"It is," Ellie said, standing from the desk, "now if you will excuse me, my mother has enlisted my help for this little shindig, and I have to report to the ballroom." An image of Donna sneaking into the ballroom and offering her services crept into Ellie's head and she spun around to Donna again. "One more thing – the ballroom is off limits. You may know there is a party – but that's all you're going to know – got it?"  
  
"Got it," Donna grinned, rising from the chair, "I wouldn't want to be the one to squash one of the First Lady's surprises."  
  
"Her wrath is overwhelming, definitely," Ellie agreed with a nod. "Bye."  
  
"Bye," Donna replied, waiting for Ellie to get out of ear shot before fishing her cell phone out of her jacket pocket. "Sam," she said excitedly, "you've got to hear this!"  
  
TBC… 


	9. A Little Singing and a lot more Whining

Disclaimer – I do not own these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. I do own Emma Lyman and any other characters I invent, but please feel free to borrow them. Just let me know what you're doing with them!

Rating – PG-13

Spoilers – this is a sequel to That Which Time Cannot Erase

Pairings – Sam/Donna, Josh/Ellie

Summary – Sam and Donna's wedding goes off without a hitch – yeah right, come on, how much fun would THAT be????

**A/N - Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. **

**A/N - Bartlegg, you're a bloody genius, you know that?**

* * *

"Mrs. Kellogg!" C.J. bellowed as she threw open the door of the bridal shop, "I'm here, I'm here," she said in a sing-song, rap-style voice.

"For goodness sakes, Claudia," Mrs. Kellogg answered, brushing her hands over the apron covering her dress, sending multi-colored threads sailing over the pink carpet. "I think I heard you coming a mile away! In fact you were singing...I swear you were singing. What were you singing, Claudia?"

"Oh, just a little something I'm practicing for the wedding" CJ smirked.

"Well, you have a voice as beautiful as your eyes"

"Thank you!" C.J. answered, a wide, toothy smile spreading across her face. "This is going to be the coolest wedding ever!"

"Yes, well," Mrs. Kellogg muttered, waving for C.J. to follow her. Donna's wedding gown and bridesmaids' dresses were hung on a hook near the alteration room door. Mrs. Kellogg reached for the hangers; then turned to C.J. "Be a dear," she said to the much taller woman.

C.J. grabbed the hangers and slung the dresses over her shoulder, following Mrs. Kellogg back to the main register. "So, when's the big event?" she asked, scribbling notes on a sheet of paper.

"Tomorrow afternoon," C.J. said proudly, "at four o'clock. We'd love for you to be there. In fact," she said, digging through her pockets, "I have an invitation here for you."

Mrs. Kellogg examined the invitation. "It must be good to be the President," she mused with a smile.

"It helps that there's a print shop in the White House," C.J. laughed.

"I'd love to be there," Mrs. Kellogg replied, handing C.J. the paper she'd been writing on. "These are the instructions for steaming the dresses," she explained. "Just because this wedding is last minute doesn't mean I want my sweet Donna wrinkled."

C.J. examined the sheet carefully. "Got it," she answered, pocketing the sheet. "Will this be your first time at the White House?"

"No," Mrs. Kellogg replied, "Dr. Bartlet had me over for tea one afternoon before Eleanor's wedding."

"Wow, and all these years, I've never had tea with the First Lady," C.J. teased.

"Get out of my store, Claudia," Mrs. Kellogg replied with a smirk. "I'm sure you have a million things to do."

"Nine hundred, ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine now," she smarted back, leaning over to kiss the older woman's cheek. "You're the best, Mrs. K."

"Just remember that when you get married," she called after C.J.'s retreating form.

C.J. whipped around and raised an eyebrow, putting on her best dramatic face. "Perish the thought," she said with a grin, making her way out of the store.

* * *

Toby rounded the corner of his office quietly, actually on his tip-toes in an effort to prevent Sam from hearing him. "Toby!" Ginger exclaimed, rising from her desk with phone messages in hand; then staring at Toby in wide-eyed amazement when he attempted to silence her by waving his arms around.

"Toby?" Sam questioned from the doorway of his office.

Toby ran his wildly flailing hands through his hair and spun around to face him. "Hello, Sam."

Sam laughed. "Hello, Sam? That's all I get? No, sorry I've left you in a lurch all afternoon, writing your little heart out?"

Toby shifted his weight repeatedly from one foot to the other and concentrated on a spot somewhere above Sam's head. "I'm sorry I left you in a lurch all afternoon, writing your little heart out," he repeated half-heartedly; turning to his office door. "How is the speech coming, by the way?"

"It's done," Sam answered angrily.

"Can I see it?" Toby requested, attempting to ignore Sam's tone.

"No, you may not," Sam replied, stalking back to his own office. "I apparently didn't need your help to write it, so I don't need to your help to review it."

Toby snickered irritably. "Has anyone other than you looked at it?"

"Yes," Sam answered, "Donna looked at it, and she says it's brilliant."

"She's a little BIASED!" Toby bellowed, holding out his hand, "where's the speech?"

"No," Sam said with a shake of his head. "You're being punished." He sat down in his chair with a huff while Toby seethed in the doorway. "And for that matter, where in the hell have you been?"

"What are you, my mother? Or are you just channeling Donna there?" Toby tried a smile, but was met with a cold glare from Sam. "I was out," Toby replied, concentrating on a new spot above Sam's head.

"Out?" Sam repeated incredulously.

"Out," Toby said again, shrugging.

"Out where?"

"Starbucks," he answered quickly.

Sam shook his head in exasperation. "You went back to Starbucks? What, being stuck there for eighteen hours wasn't enough?"

"I forgot something," Toby lied, accepting the stack of phone messages from Ginger and pretending to read them.

"You forgot something," Sam repeated.

"Am I stuttering or do you need hearing aids?" Toby replied irritably.

"You're lying," Sam said, peering at Toby with narrowed eyes.

"No," Toby scoffed. "I told you, I forgot something."

"And it took you five hours to retrieve it?" Sam demanded.

"They were busy!" Toby yelled out of frustration. "And I want that speech on my desk in five minutes!"

"If you want it, you'll find it," Sam tossed out, breezing past Toby and out of the Communications bullpen.

* * *

"And so my fellow Americans," Bartlet said into the television monitors in the Oval Office, reading the speech Sam had written from the teleprompter, "it is with a tempered heart that I tell you Jenny Davenport is out of surgery tonight, recovering from the injuries she suffered in the brutal attack on our Embassy in Syria..."

"This is good," Josh nodded from his position against the wall, "really good."

"Thanks," Sam said, beaming with pride. "Did Toby ever read it?"

"Yeah, I think he got a copy from Margaret," Josh answered. "I don't think he had time to change anything."

"Good," Sam replied, causing Josh's head to whip around with a startled expression. "He's being punished."

"For going back to Starbucks and leaving you all alone?" Josh teased.

"Is a phone call too much to ask?"

Josh swallowed a laugh and slapped Sam on the shoulder. "Spoken like a true metrosexual husband."

Sam turned to glare at his best friend. "Somehow, that was a thinly veiled insult."

"No, not at all. There's no telling what I could get Ellie to do if I acted more like you," Josh explained.

"Maybe you should try it sometime," Sam replied. "A little common courtesy never hurt anyone."

"Shhh, he's finishing up," Josh shot back with a grin.

* * *

"Isn't there someone else who's not the Deputy Chief of Staff who could do this?" Josh griped as he and Toby carried yet another heavy table over to the spot where Abbey had just dictated it should be. The White House stewards still hadn't returned to work, so the team was on their own and Josh knew it.

"What's the matter Josh?" Jed teased in his best "you're being a real baby" voice, "Is this work beneath you?" he asked, moving a much smaller and lighter table with Leo.

"It's not beneath me," Josh argued, walking backward to move the set the table in pace. "It's just heavy," he whined.

"Aw, poor Joshie," the President teased with a pout.

Josh and Toby nearly dropped the table and Josh glared at his father-in-law. "You come over here and move this table for the nine-hundredth time, and we'll see how long it takes me to say 'Aw, poor Jed'."

"You called me Jed," he answered, returning the glare, "we're not alone, Mr. Deputy Chief of Staff. You will address me as Mr. President."

"No offense, Mr. President, but bite me," Josh answered with a grin.

"Bite me? Bite...not even a sir...Bite me! That's it!" Jed bellowed, waving his hand at the door. "Ron, get in here!" He waited for the head of the Secret Service detail to enter before continuing. He waved his hand again - this time at his widely grinning son-in-law. "He just insulted the President, Ron. Isn't there something you do about that?"

"Unfortunately, Mr. President, he's protected by that little thing called 'Free Speech'," Ron replied with a tight-lipped smile. "But if he actually comes at you, I'm all over it."

"The night's still young," Josh teased.

"Does it matter if I provoke him or not?" the President asked seriously.

"No, Sir," Ron laughed, "not at all."

"Fabulous!" Jed replied, clapping his hands together.

"Are you boys done with your little horse-play?" Abbey demanded, waving her hand dramatically between them. "This table still isn't right. Josh, Toby, get your asses over here and move it."

"Why are we doing this again?" Toby asked as they lifted the table once more.

"Apparently, we actually like Sam when we're not moving 200 lbs. tables for his for wedding reception" Josh replied.

As they put the table in its place, Toby added a positive note, "You know, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this."

As they lugged another table, Josh agreed, "You know what? Me too."

"There's not that many left."

"We'll be done in no time"

"No problem" Toby agreed.

"No problem at- AHH MY FOOT!"

Toby apologized as Josh writhed in pain. "Oh, sorry there, table must of slipped..."

Ellie arrived at Josh's side in an instant, helping him to stand upright and move over to the chairs. "Wimp," Abbey chided from the sidelines. Charlie stuck his head in the door, took one look around and shut the door again. "Not so fast!" she yelled, grabbing the door, and dragging Charlie inside. "Josh just smashed his foot, and you're the only other son-in-law I can order around."

"Technically, Mrs. Bartlet, Doug is your other son-in-law," Charlie reminded her.

"Yes, but I don't like him as much as I like you," she answered with a toothy grin.

Charlie rolled his eyes and stripped his tie off, tossing onto a chair beside Josh. "Thanks, man."

"No problem," Josh replied with a salute.

Toby planted his hands on his hips, nearly growling at Josh, "There is no way that you're hurt that bad. In fact, you probably made me drop the table on purpose."

Josh's eyes widened. "On purpose! I wanted this?"

Toby smirked. "Yeah, to get you out of all this hard labor, a little 'oopsy can't work I'm-a-hurtin' in me toes' injury."

Josh had the urge to punch the communications director right there. "So your blaming ME for YOUR dropping of the table? No wonder you're the communications director."

Toby's face turned red. "Why you-"

"Boys, really!" Abbey chided. "We have a lot of work to do and very little time to do it. Josh, work through the pain and help Leo and Jed. Charlie and Toby will have to deal with the big tables."

C.J. and Zoey wandered in through a side door to the ballroom, covered in freshly pressed light taupe tablecloths. "Mrs. Bartlet, where do you want these?" C.J. asked.

"She won't need them until she decides where in the hell she wants these damned tables!" Toby muttered under his breath.

"I heard that Ziegler!" the First Lady exclaimed, whipping around to glower at him. "The damned table, as you so eloquently put it, is fine right there."

"Thank you, Mrs. Bartlet," Toby replied, his tone feigning the apology she knew he didn't feel.

"Only three more to go," she smirked. Toby dropped his head on the table and smacked it lightly twice.

A wail emitted from the baby monitor Ellie had attached to her hip. Josh grinned and grabbed the monitor. "I'll be back in a little while, my kid's calling." He made a break for the door, but Ellie grabbed the hem of his t-shirt. "Not without me you don't."

"Traitors!" Toby and Charlie yelled in unison.

They worked in near silence for another two hours, Abbey dictating where she wanted tables, Ellie and Zoey draping the tablecloths and setting the vases for the florists to fill tomorrow morning. The men controlled their griping, being reminded by the women every so often why there were all gathered together. At four-thirty in the morning, the group stood together near the entrance to the ballroom, surveying the work they'd done.

"It's beautiful," Abbey echoed everyone else's sentiment.

"We should go into business after this whole President thing is over," Ellie replied.

"NO!" the men bellowed together - a united front against the idea of moving tables for the rest of their lives.

"Okay, okay," Ellie threw her hands up in surrender; then yawned. "I'm going to the Residence to get some sleep."

"Set the alarm for the seven, will you?" Josh asked, already following her out the door.

"You got it," she replied, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"You do good work, honey," Jed said, taking Abbey's hand.

"And the florists haven't even worked their magic yet," she beamed.

"I can't wait to see it all pulled together," he said, kissing her temple gently.

TBC...


End file.
